Written by Abigail Morgan of Grand Bay Westfield, NB

Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself: When was the last time I experienced Jesus? Was it asking God moments before an exam to give you knowledge to pass? Or was it sitting in church on Sunday morning after a night out that didn’t go so well asking for forgiveness?

This morning as I got ready for school I opened my closet full of clothes and tried on a few things. I came to the drastic conclusion that I had nothing to wear and needed a whole new wardrobe. Don’t you find it’s hard to be positive at 7:00 a.m.?

As I sat on the edge of my bed and debated throwing on sweats and running out the door, I got a little slap in the face. There I was sitting in my nice heated home, on the edge of my cozy bed, staring at my closet full of clothes, sipping on my coffee. What do I really have to complain about? Re-wearing my jeans from the day before?

I got an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness that morning as I sat there surrounded by things only a third of the world is lucky enough to have.

In 1 Timothy 6, it explains that it is not bad to have riches but not to put your hope in riches. You need to be rich in God, and in that you will receive His wonderful riches.

People often worship materialistic things; it’s just how our society works. We want the newest clothes, the best car and the most up to date electronics. But what we don’t always realize is that there is a richness that transcends all earthly things.

It’s not always just the materialistic things that we have tendencies to worship, it could be a relationship or a feeling that a substance may give. But God is the richest substance in the universe.

It’s foolish to invest in things we cannot take to heaven. These things cannot give us life. When you take your last breath, God won’t be judging you based on the clothes you wore or the car you drove. I don’t know about you, but when my day comes, I want my family and friends to remember me for my love of Jesus and people, not how I do my hair or dress myself.

One of my favourite Bible verses is Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” I keep this hung up in my bathroom to use as a daily reminder.

So to my university friends, let’s focus on getting our degrees and not focusing on what we are wearing while we get them. Let us not fall into the temptation of worldly behaviours and allow God to guide our future plans. Let’s not worry about what our peers may think of us – because if we only knew how valuable we are to God, we would stop trying to prove our worth in this world to others.

Next time you are feeling down, lonely, stressed or anxious, wait a moment, take a deep breath and say a small prayer. Don’t turn to the substance, the food, or the hobby that you enjoy to fill the gap.

There is only one thing that can fill that gap and it is Jesus. He wants us to look to Him in times of trouble. He knows our thoughts, feelings and needs. Just knock and the door will be open.

In Revelation, it attempts to describe the beauty of heaven. The walls and roads will be paved in diamonds and gold, and we will be placed at the feet of Jesus. It seriously cannot get much better than that because in heaven, there’s a real gift that is so much more valuable than anything here on earth.

Let’s make Jesus our treasure this month. Spread some of that unconditional, unique love of Jesus Christ as we reflect on all that God has blessed us with.